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KB vs WF
Which Stock Would AI Choose? KB Financial Group (KB) vs. Woori Financial Group (WF) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- KB reported Q1 2026 net profit up 12.8% year-over-year to 1.91 trillion South Korean won ($1.3 billion), driven by surging non-interest income.
- WF's Q1 net profit fell 2.1% to 603.8 billion won amid overseas setbacks and lower operating income.
- KB YTD (year-to-date) return of 23.16% outpaces WF's 14.09% amid recent market activity.
- KB market cap of $37.7 billion dwarfs WF's $16.4 billion, reflecting scale advantages.
- WF offers higher dividend yield at 3.99% versus KB's 2.85%.
- Both delivered strong 1-year gains around 83-88%, but KB shows superior earnings momentum.
Introduction
This comparison pits KB Financial Group against WF, two prominent South Korean financial holding companies listed as American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) on the NYSE. Both operate in banking, securities, insurance, and other services, offering investors exposure to Asia's dynamic financial sector amid global interest rate shifts and economic recovery. Traders eyeing relative performance, dividend yields, or growth in non-interest income (NII, revenue from fees and investments excluding loan interest) will find value here, especially as recent earnings highlight divergent paths in profitability and market positioning.
KB Overview and Recent Performance
KB Financial Group, parent of Kookmin Bank—the largest bank in South Korea by assets—encompasses banking, securities, insurance, and asset management. In recent market activity, its stock has demonstrated resilience, with a year-to-date gain of 23.16% and trading within a 52-week range of $59.86 to $119.71. Sentiment boosted following robust Q1 2026 results, where net profit rose 12.8% to 1.91 trillion won, fueled by 20% non-interest income growth, core deposit expansion of 9.8 trillion won, and strategic funding cost reductions. EPS (earnings per share, diluted profit per share) hit $3.37, with P/E ratio (price-to-earnings, stock price divided by EPS) at 10.37 signaling a growth premium. Market cap stands at $37.7 billion, underscoring its scale.
WF Overview and Recent Performance
WF Financial Group, formed from state-owned bank mergers, provides similar services including retail/wholesale banking, credit cards, securities, and insurance. Recent weeks saw softer performance, with YTD return at 14.09% within a 52-week range of $34.80 to $84.71. Q1 2026 earnings revealed net profit down 2.1% to 603.8 billion won and operating profit off 7%, pressured by overseas operations despite revenue growth to 15.28 trillion won. Trading at a lower P/E of 8.22 with EPS of $8.17 and dividend yield of 3.99%, its $16.4 billion market cap reflects value orientation amid NII challenges and analyst caution.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
Both firms share a banking-centric model with non-bank diversification, but KB leads in scale (larger assets, market cap) and securities strength, driving superior NII growth versus WF's overseas vulnerabilities. Growth drivers favor KB's deposit momentum and profit beats; WF counters with cheaper valuation (lower P/E) and higher yield. Recent momentum tilts to KB (stronger YTD, earnings), while WF lags. Risks include interest rate sensitivity impacting NII, Korean regulatory pressures, and geopolitical tensions. Sector exposure mirrors banking resilience, but sentiment leans positive for KB post-earnings versus WF's dip.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI models would likely favor KB in the current environment, given its trend consistency, earnings catalysts, YTD outperformance, and relative stability versus WF's profit contraction. While WF offers yield appeal, KB's momentum positions it probabilistically stronger for near-term relative gains.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer. Disclaimers and Limitations
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is KB is a Hold and WF is a StrongBuy.
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
KB’s FA Score shows that 4 FA rating(s) are green whileWF’s FA Score has 4 green FA rating(s).
- KB’s FA Score: 4 green, 1 red.
- WF’s FA Score: 4 green, 1 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
KB’s TA Score shows that 2 TA indicator(s) are bullish while WF’s TA Score has 3 bullish TA indicator(s).
- KB’s TA Score: 2 bullish, 7 bearish.
- WF’s TA Score: 3 bullish, 6 bearish.
Price Growth
KB (@Regional Banks) experienced а -6.79% price change this week, while WF (@Regional Banks) price change was -6.93% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Regional Banks industry was +0.31%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +4.37%, and the average quarterly price growth was +12.10%.
Reported Earning Dates
KB is expected to report earnings on Jul 28, 2026.
WF is expected to report earnings on Jul 23, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Regional Banks (+0.31% weekly)Regional banks have a smaller reach than major banks, and cater mostly to one region of a country, such as a state or within a group of states. They offer services often similar – albeit with some limitations/smaller scale – compared to major banks. Taking deposits, making loans, mortgages, leases, credit cards , fund management, insurance and investment banking. SunTrust Banks, State Street Corp., M&T Bank Corp. are some examples of U.S. regional banks.
| KB | WF | KB / WF | |
| Capitalization | 36.4B | 14.2B | 256% |
| EBITDA | N/A | N/A | - |
| Gain YTD | 23.942 | 2.941 | 814% |
| P/E Ratio | 10.14 | 7.59 | 134% |
| Revenue | 21.67T | 13.49T | 161% |
| Total Cash | N/A | N/A | - |
| Total Debt | 133.75T | 88.7T | 151% |
KB | WF | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 26 | 8 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 26 Undervalued | 14 Undervalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 1 | 1 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 1 | 1 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 46 | 49 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 26 | 28 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 65 | 50 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
WF's Valuation (14) in the Major Banks industry is in the same range as KB (26) in the Regional Banks industry. This means that WF’s stock grew similarly to KB’s over the last 12 months.
WF's Profit vs Risk Rating (1) in the Major Banks industry is in the same range as KB (1) in the Regional Banks industry. This means that WF’s stock grew similarly to KB’s over the last 12 months.
WF's SMR Rating (1) in the Major Banks industry is in the same range as KB (1) in the Regional Banks industry. This means that WF’s stock grew similarly to KB’s over the last 12 months.
KB's Price Growth Rating (46) in the Regional Banks industry is in the same range as WF (49) in the Major Banks industry. This means that KB’s stock grew similarly to WF’s over the last 12 months.
KB's P/E Growth Rating (26) in the Regional Banks industry is in the same range as WF (28) in the Major Banks industry. This means that KB’s stock grew similarly to WF’s over the last 12 months.
| KB | WF | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | N/A | 1 day ago 89% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 54% | 1 day ago 55% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 52% | 1 day ago 56% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 69% | 1 day ago 70% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 54% | 1 day ago 59% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 63% | 1 day ago 53% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 8 days ago 66% | 8 days ago 65% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 27 days ago 59% | 1 day ago 58% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 69% | 1 day ago 64% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 54% | 1 day ago 50% |
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KB and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, KB has been closely correlated with SHG. These tickers have moved in lockstep 83% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if KB jumps, then SHG could also see price increases.
WF and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, WF has been closely correlated with SHG. These tickers have moved in lockstep 82% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if WF jumps, then SHG could also see price increases.